I wanted to create a window that would depict the crucifixion in a way relevant to our time, use color in a harmonious manner and, if possible, allow views of the outside. As important as these aims, was the request that the window create a sense of hope. Thus the window can be understood in two different ways: one being the contemplation of the physical pain and suffering of Christ, the other being the experience of the eternal light and hope that He promised.

A young man in his thirties served as a model, and the resulting photographic image of his ‘crucifixion’ serves as the central focus of this version of the time-honored theme. However, the layering and etching of clear glasses create a new experience of light and suggest a dialogue between the material and the ephemeral, the physical and the metaphysical, the profane and the sacred. The result is not an opaque window, nor a totally transparent one, but rather a magically suspended veil of light interlaced with subtle rainbow colors, accentuating the essence of the theme.

Location:

Emmaus Chapel Window, Church of Saint John the Divine, Victoria, BC, Canada